Being Someone Else
by lovingpurpleroses
Summary: Esto Gaza,not much to say. It's just really cold. Zack a young woman lives the life of a tomboy. After receving news that  creatures have been spotted around Treno she is up for the task but what happens when a certain bounty hunter gets in her way.


**Being Someone Else**

**My first Final Fantasy IX story! First chapter is out and I hope to finish the second one soon. I would love to have some reviews also. Final Fantasy IX belongs to its original owner basically I take no credit for it. Zack, Roger, and Lanala are mine though. Hope you enjoy!**

The Cities, towns, and villages of Gaia: Treno, Alexandria, Burmecia, Lindblum, Cleyra, the Black Mage Village, Madain Sari, the Village of Dali, and Conde Petit, all had their own special feature. Treno, the city of the night where the poor became rich in just a second. Alexandria, it is said that a beautiful queen rules there with her handsome king by her side. The Village of Dali, rumors has it that they use to produce Black Mages but now their focus is on the crops. Burmecia, the city of eternal rain which is also connect to Cleyra. Cleyra use to be a village on a huge tree surrounded and protected by a sandstorm. Don't know much about it now. Lindblum, the city of technology, it began many years ago when their ruler King Cid discovered how to create machinery that did not need mist to operate it. The Black Mage Village was new to Gaia...it had somehow became quite a trading area for many towns and villages. Madain Sari the village of lost summoners. Conde Petit with their beliefs and very hot climate that make these people unique. And another small town that lied in the Lost Continent….Esto Gaza.

The sacred ground of Esto Gaza….not much to say about it. It's just damn freezing! The snow never melted and when the sun is out it never heated up the area. No….it was always cold but somehow….people were able to live here. Esto Gaza was a sanctuary…peaceful and quiet. It was always filled with columns of lilted candles. It was built with strong stone, which meant that there were many columns around. Half of them were painted; with tales of the village. To the left of the huge columns with lilted candles were the stairs that led to the outside, where you can view the coast of the Shimmering Island. To the right of it was the bar, circled by lit candles and a small shop on the side. The shopkeeper usually handles both the bar and the shop. Next to Esto Gaza or basically neighbors was Mount Gulug," an enormous volcano that went extinct in the days of old. Legend has it that a great race of moles once lived within the caverns. But that was very long ago. No mortal has entered those depths ever since the entrance was mysteriously sealed." (Esto Gaza's Bishop). Esto Gaza was most famous for its fish and creatures. They hunted down many ice formed creatures. It was a custom that the young boys in our village did. For the young women they hoped to become the maiden of our land, the healer and protector of Esto Gaza. The Bishop with his high staff would be the one to choose the maiden. It is the most honorable thing for any young women…was to be The Maiden of Esto Gaza. Of course, unlike some young women only one was mad about her gender. Zack, a young woman with a short body who has lived in Esto Gaza for as long as she can remember. Her hair was black and always kept short. It would curl when her hair was wet. She is dark skinned and it was hard for her to bandage her breast because they were just too big. She wore huge baggy pants, a long dark coat, and a scarf that was given to her ages ago by a Black Mage. It bothered her when her glasses got foggy when the humid was too hot. The thought of being the maiden of Esto Gaza was not on her list. Being dressed up and being praised by all the young gentlemen because you were so damn beautiful was_nauseating_ for her. Ever since she was a little girl she still remembers the visitors. Yes, the first visitors to ever arrive in Esto Gaza. They were looking for one of their friends that who being held captive in Mount Gulug. They asked the Bishop for help and he pointed out that they were "Through the path of souls of the Shimmering Island." She stood next to her step-mother who was preparing beer in that moment. There she found a strange man asking for weapons and medicine. With a smile on his face he capture her glare, "Hello, little girl. What is your name?" She hid her face in her scarf, "Zack." He smiled, "I hope to see you again Zack." He said and has he turned around, she spotted a tail. He had a type of monkey tail to be more exact. Oh yes, all visitors who visited Esto Gaza were different. She was able to sneak in Mount Gulug and spy on these visitors especially the one with the monkey tail and watch the way they fought to protect their friends. She was inspired by the idea of fighting that she wanted to learn it. Since that day fourth she was Zack, a young man of Esto Gaza. The best ice creature catcher in all of the Lost Continent. She loved the title they have given her, "The Ice Snatcher." It was much better than the whole maiden concept. She sat in the bar and watched her eye balling step-mother. Her step-mother was not fond of the young man thing. She wanted her step-daughter to be the next maiden of Esto Gaza. She passed her a beer and frowned, "Another scratch on y're arm Zack. It be dangerous out there y'know." Zack sighed heavily. Zack doesn't remember anything out of Esto Gaza. She always called this place home. Her step-mother was Lanala. She was the shopkeeper of Esto Gaza during the day. At night someone else was the shopkeeper. She was short and always wore that brown dress. She also liked to over clothe herself with extra coats. She wore a bandanna around her head and her brown hair was tied in a bun. Her eyes were brown and her lips looked quiet fragile. She took the napkin next to her and covered her scratch with it. She watched the blood soak in with the napkin given it a very light red color. She looked at her step-mother with an irritating face, "Happy now!" "Now don't y'get me that face young lady. Y'know better than that. A maiden of Esto Gaza would be more appropriate then y're." Zack closed her eyes. Not again! She disliked the maiden conversation very much. She was getting too old for that. Zack took a sip of her beer, "….not my thing." Her step-mother began to dry empty beer jugs next to that small sink, "I know that." "ZACK!" a young boy ran up to Zack holding a torn piece of paper. "Roger." Roger wanted to be like Zack, strong and brave. He and her step-mother are the only people who know that she is a woman. The rest of Esto Gaza could care less. Their focus was more on the maiden than anything else. Roger wore his bright yellow coat. On the hand cuffs of his coat had fur. His pants match his coat and his shoes were always covered in snow. His hair was short but he had long bangs that almost covered his eyes. He had a dark brown hair color. On top of that head was his favorite hat. It warped around his skull keeping his head very warm. His hat was a lighter color then his hair. His eyes were light blue like the sky. She envied him because of his eye color. "Look what a moogle gave me." He passed the paper to Zack. Zack's pupil's dilated. On this piece of paper were strange creatures. "New creatures appeared around the area of Treno. They are giving out lots of money to however can catch them. I know you can Zack, that's why I gave it to you. You're the "Ice Snatcher" after all. Someday I hoped to be just like you." Roger climbed on the high chair in front of the bar. Lanala passed him a glass of hot milk and he started drinking it as if it was beer. Zack laughed to herself. Roger was a very unique kid. "…..I want to go." All of a sudden a beer jug fell to floor, leaving the pieces all over the floor. "Y'ain't going." "…why not?" "It be dangerous outside of this continent. Going to Treno takes two to three days." "….better to leave now." "…I'd hope y'don't go." "….I have caught everything there is on this continent. It's time for a new challenge, new creatures to catch." Lanala sighed has she picked up the pieces, "y'better write to me every day." Zack's eyes widen with happiness, "I will….it's a promise."The next day Zack decide to fly to Treno with a creature he tamed two years ago. A crystal dragon name Icy. She found Icy covered in snow one day. She was hurt badly and in two weeks Zack brought her back to herself. Since then they have been the best of friends not to mention that Icy was Zack's partner in capturing creatures. Zack grabbed her bag and placed it around her right shoulder. She walked to the bar one last time to look at her step-mother. She went up to her, "…I'll write like I promise." "I know y'will. Take this." She gave Zack a basket. "Food and beer, just in case y'get hungry and want a taste of home." Zack hugged Lanala. She hugged her for so long it felt like forever. She let go and nodded her head. Has Zack walked out and onto the entrance of Esto Gaza, he turned around and stared at the four windmills. She took a deep breath and continues walking. "ZACK!" She turned around to see Roger. "I'm goina miss you." He said and hugged her. She hugged him back and took out a sword from her bag. She gave it to him, "…..you want to be like me, than you have to keep training." Roger face lit up so much that he was practically glowing, "THANK YOU ZACK! I won't let you down!" he yelled. She patted his back and Roger ran inside. Zack went down the stairs onto the cold, wet snow. "Be careful Zack." Zack looked behind her and found the Bishop standing on the top of the stairs. As he walked away Zack was so surprised to find out the Bishop knew her name. She climbed on top of Icy and they began their journey into the sky heading for the city of Treno.


End file.
